HISTORY
5. PREHISTORIC PERIOD
Inian, a student of standard six
was reading the newspaper. He was
astonished. An amazing discovery! An
animal called Dinosaur lived many
million years ago. The eggs of the
Dinosaur were excavated near Ariyalur.
They belonged to the prehistoric
period. What is 'prehistoric
period'?
Can you tell us the history of your
family?
1. What is your father's name?
2. What is your grandfather's
name?
3. What is your great grandfather's
name?
4. What is your grandfather's
grandfather's name?
5. What is your grandfather's
grandfather's father's name?
You can answer the first two
questions only. But we don't know the
answers to questions such as the
names of our grandfather's father and
grandfather's grandfather. If this is the
case, what are the evidences to find
about the people who lived hundred,
two hundred, five hundred and
thousand years ago. The sources about
these are known as History. What is
History? History tells about the people
who lived in the past with evidences
according to the ages.
176
The Earlymen
From where do we get these old
things? Who has discovered all these?
Read this news and find out. The
archaeological excavation has been
going on for 100 years in Athichanallur,
which is in Tirunelveli District in Tamil
Nadu.Recently in 2004,they excavated
more than 160 burial urns in one place.
This proved that people lived in that
place long ago.
The written and archaeological
evidences that tell us about the period
in which people lived, events, food
habits, customs, culture, forms of
government and literature are known
as historical evidences. History can be
divided into pre-history and historical
period. Historical period has proof of
written evidences and other
evidences. The written evidences are
literary work, historical notes, stone
edicts, copper plates and palm leaves.
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Evidences to know about pre-historic He ate vegetables, fruits, roots
period: and meat of animals which he gathered
To know about the pre-historic from the jungle. Since he could not find
period, there are evidences such as the food in one place he went from place to
things that belonged to that period, place in search of food.
ruins,fossils, horns and bones of
animals, tools made of stones, skulls
and deposits (impressions) which are
found in different places around the
world as well as in India. With the help of
all these we know about the pre-historic
period of India.
The Pre-historic period can be classified

Social Science
as:
• PalaeolithicAge - Old StoneAge Early men - Making Tools
(BC 10000 years ago)
• Neolithic Age- New StoneAge Words giving the same meaning with
little difference :
(BC 10000 -BC 4000)
• ChalcolithicAge- Copper Stone Age
some years ago, many years ago,
ancient, long long ago, from time
(BC 3000-BC 1500) immemorial, primitive.
• Iron Age - IronAge
(BC 1500-BC600) Era of some important events

With the help of the tools used by Beginning of the Earth -

early man, we can divide the stone age 4.6 Billion years ago
Appearance of man - 4000
into Old stone age and New stone age.
years ago (Homosepians)
1. Old StoneAge: ( PalaeolithicAge )
> Beginning of agriculture-8000
He was a nomad. He lived in the jungle. years ago
He took shelter on the branches of > Beginning of the cities -
trees, in holes and caves. He discovered 4700 years ago
fire by using the flint stone. The primitive
man was scared of thunder and
BC - Before Christ
lightning and worshipped them.
AD -Anno Domini
He had to protect himself from CE - Common Era
cold, Sun and rain. He wore dresses BCE - Before Common Era
made out of leaves, skin of animals and BC 31 - Birth of Thiruvalluvar
barks of trees. He used stones, BT - Before Thiruvalluvar
AT -After Thiruvalluvar
branches of trees, bones and horns of
the animals as weapons.

177

Did the primitive man store the
food?
Where and how did he store?
Did he share?
Did he preserve the food?
Why should the food be
preserved?
Name the food items that we
preserve and store nowadays.
When he did not find vegetables,
fruits and roots, he hunted animals. He
used stones, branches, bones, horns of
animals etc. to hunt animals. In the
beginning he hunted small animals all
alone. Then they hunted in groups.
Both men and women involved
in hunting.
In the Pimpet Ca cave in Madhya
Pradesh we see a painting. This depicts
a woman with her child tied to her waist
throwing an arrow. From this we know
that women were also involved in
hunting.
What for the early man hunted
the wild animals? Is it to protect himself
from the wild animal orforfood?
Why did the government amend
laws to protect the wild animals?
178
Places in India where the Old stone
age tools were found:
Madyapradesh - Soan River bank,
Pimpet Ca, Mageshwa.
Rajasthan - Luni Valley.
Karnataka - Pagalkhat.
Andhrapradesh - Karnool caves,
Renigunta.
Tamilnadu - Vadamadurai,
Athirambakkam, Pallavaram,
Kanchipuram, Vellur, Thiruvallur.
2. New Stone Age: (NeolithicAge)
Old stone age man went from
place to place in search of food and for
hunting animals. Then he learnt to
produce his food. He domesticated
animals like goat, cow and hen.
The first animal he tamed was
dog, which helped him in hunting. He
reared goats and cows and had milk as
his food. The next stage in the evolution
of man is known as New Stone Age.
During this age, he used polished,
carved, sharp stone weapons. In this
period, he started to produce food.
Wheel was invented. As a result of this,
he was able to transport things from one
place to another easily. With the help of
wheels he made pots. He sharpened the
crude weapons and attached them with
handles made up of wood and bones.
Metal was in use. Copper was the first
metal used by him.
 • They built mud houses with
thatched roofs and began to live in
groups in small villages.
• The houses were round or oval
shaped. They were built below the
ground level and thatched with wooden
planks.
• Agriculture was their main
occupation.
• They domesticated and reared
animals.
• Axes, handles made out of bones,
fishing hooks, needle and chopper
were in use.
the pots they used. The Harappan
culture belonged to this age. Let us learn
in detail about this in the next lesson.
/,(• 1
ChalcolithicAge weapons
4. Iron Age :
The period when the tools were
made up of iron was called Iron Age.
Household articles and agricultural
implements were made out of iron.
They learnt to melt the metal and make

• During the New stone age they had
the practice of burying the dead. The
dead were buried along with their
tamed animals in the frontyard of their
houses.
Social Science
weapons. They were creative. Vedic
period belonged to the Iron Age.
List the tools made out of iron
which are in use now. Compare
them with the tools used before.

Places where New stone age

weapons were found:

Madhyapradesh - Pimpet Ca

Alloys: . ,
ÿ

Stainless
Iron + Chromium = steel
Tirunelveli, Thandikkudi, Pudukottai, Copper + Lead = Bronze
Tiruchirapalli and Salem. Copper + Zinc = Brass
Iron + Maganese = Steel
3. CopperAge : (ChalcolithicAge)
At the end of the New stone age, Important words from the lesson:
man came to know the use of copper. • Archaeology • Excavation
He made tools out of copper as well as • Primitive • Stone Age
small stones. So this age is known as •CopperAge • Iron Age
Chalcolithic Age. They drew colourful • Historical evidences • Deposits
pictures with geometrical patterns on • Million • Bronze
179
Evaluation:

I . Choose the correct answer :

1. Pre-history means
a) period having written evidences
b) period having no written evidences
c) period which have all the 3 evidences like time, place and events
2. Old stone age people
a) wore cotton clothes
b) wore leaves, barks of trees and skin of animals
c) wore woollen clothes
3. The first animal tamed by primitive man was
a) cow
b) horse
c) dog

II. Fill in the blanks :

1. The early man. .depending on nature.
2. To know the truths of ancient period, we must read _
3. The Old stone age man used_ stones.
4. The primitive age is _ than the ancient period.
5. We must read _ to know about the primitive age.
6. The period when the tools were made up of Iron was called.
7. New stone age man used _ to make pots.

Match the following :

I.Tamil Nadu Pagalkhat
2.Andra Pradesh Athirampakkam
3. Madhya Pradesh Karnool
4. Karnataka PimpetCa

180
IV. Answerthe following:
1. What is history?
2. List the evidences to know about history.
3. What do you mean by pre-historic period?
4. What are the four classifications of the pre-historic period?
5. What were the dresses of the early man?
6. Draw and compare any fourtools of Old stone age and New stone age.
7. Write a short note on new stone age.

Prepare a table of details from the informations you have gathered

from this lesson.

Social Science
Period Stages of man/occupation Tools used
Old stone age Primitive man - Crude stones
Gathering food, Hunting
New stone age Stone age man - Rearing Polished and carved stones
of animals, Agriculture

Copper age

Iron age

Write the names of your family members

Write the name
1. Father
2. Father's father : (Grandfather)
Father's mother : (Grandmother).
3. Grand father's father : _
(Great grandfather) : _
Grand father's mother :
(Great grandmother) _
Write the name
Mother :
_ Mother's father : (Grandfather) _
Mother's mother: (Grandmother).
Grandmother's mother : _
Grandmother's father : _

181
 ( Formative Assesment )

1. Find out whether there are any inscriptions and monuments in your area and
collect information about them.
2. Are stones still used as tools? List them.
3. Collect information and photos from the news paper about the excavations.
4. Howdoyou feel about that ancient man got the idea to invent the wheel.
5. Visit the nearest place where the stonage instruments are found.
6. Mark the places in the India map, from where the stone age instruments were
discovered.

182
 6. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
Why do we call the modern age as Computer age? After the invention
of electricity, computer is regarded as the most important one and so it is
called Computerage.
In the previous lesson, we
studied about the early man. The period
when early man used stone was known
as stone age. The first metal known to
man was copper. So he used both
copper and stone. That age was known
as Copper Stone Age. During that
period there existed an ancient
civilization in India which was the Indus
Valley Civilization. (Harappa)
This is the beginning of the Indian
civilization.
Harappa:
In 1856, when the British ruled
India, they laid railway lines on the
banks of River Ravi, a branch of Indus
river. They found a mound of sand.
There they saw well- burnt bricks and
ruins.
183
They took those bricks and constructed
the railway lines. So they destroyed
many such walls of the buildings.
In 1921 , archaeologists found out
Social Science
that it was the ancient city of India.
Harappa in Sindhi means 'Buried City'.
The cities discovered after the Indus
Valley Civilization were named as
Harappan Civilization.
This civilization flourished in
India about 4700 years ago. Likewise,
the ruins of the cities were found in
Mohenjo-daro, Chanhu-daro,
Kalibangan and Lothal.
The Great Bath:
The most important structure
found in the citadel was the Great Bath.
It was built of kiln-fired bricks and
sealed with a lining of bitumen.
 Indus Valley Civilization

Rupar
> Bolan
"V R.Sutlei

Kalibangan

Lothal

There were steps on both the Town planning :

sides of the pool. There were rooms on
all the sides of the pool for changing
clothes. It was fed by water from a well
and the dirty water was emptied by a
huge drain.
Buildings :
Houses were built in grid system.
There were houses which had two
rooms and multistoried houses, public
hall, granary and public buildings built
out of bricks. There were no windows in
the houses. Every house had a well and
a bathroom. There were dustbins in
front of the houses.
The Indus valley cities were well
planned. The northern part of the town
was narrow and elevated. The
excavators considered that those were
constructed on security basis. The
eastern side was broad and lowered.
We get more information from this town
planning.
Mohenjo - daro in Sindhi means
'Mound of Dead'
The town was built with experts
who were well versed in the art of town
planning.
There would have been an
administrative committee in the city to
administer it.

184
 Houses were built on both the sides
of the broad streets in systematic order. We have an idea about ancient
man from the archaeological
The houses had flat roofs and
evidences. This is the place where you
were many storied.
can write your ideas.

Administration:
The public drainage system, the
Great Bath, the public hall, street lights
and the provision of dustbins show that
the administrative system was well List the similarities and the
organized. differences between the Great Bath of
Drainage system: the Indus Valley and the ponds that are
seen in the temples of Tamil Nadu.
The drains from the houses were
What types of machinery would they

Social Science
covered. They ran along the sides of
have used to fill the ponds?
the streets which were connected to the
street drains.
Life style of Indus Valley people :
They had manholes at regular
intervals for cleaning. Row houses were built for the
employers of town administration.
People exported and imported things
Applied Science: like metals, precious stones,
ornaments and various useful
The science and technology such as
products.
construction, selections of lands ,
measurement of plots, foundation,
selection of quality building materials
and geometrical figures were in use.

Drainage system - Mohenjo-daro Statue of a man with beard made of limestone

185
 Dancing girl

Pasupathi

Pieces of broken pots excavated from Harappa

Pots: They made pots with the help of potter's

wheel. They were polished and coloured.

186
Handicrafts:

There would have been workers

like document writers, seal makers,
carpenters, doll makers, masons and
other artisans.

They also found out dolls made

out of terracotta and other playing
articles out of shells, brass, copper,
silverand gold.
They used copper and bronze to
make weapons, household articles and Ornaments found in Harappa
tools. Gold and silver were used to
make ornaments. Weights were made

Social Science
out of a kind of stone.

Terracotta seals:
Hundreds of rectangular seals
were discovered here. Pictographic
writings were written on them. The
script had not been deciphered yet. On
the terracotta seals, bulls, cart, dove,
boats and a figure of a human
meditating are seen. 1
Script:
Seals
The terracotta planks discovered
here were engraved with letters. The
«iX,
figures that were engraved on the seals
and the pictorial writing showed their
nr
skill of writing. They were pictographic
writing.
Each picture depicts a specific <z. tre SJ
meaning. Each page was written from
right to left and left to right.
L -:J fit
* uf,. m

These writings are related with

the ancient Tamil writings. There are
HI
if
4. =#rr
varied opinions regarding this. -ÿ11
\lsr-
Pictorial writing

187
Occupation :
In the Indus Valley there were
agriculturists, artisans, traders,
weavers, potters and blacksmiths.
Agriculture was their main occupation,
They cultivated wheat and barley.
They stored the surplus grains in the
granary.
1. List the various occupations in
your area.
2. Do we store grains? If yes, where
and how?
3. Gather evidences to prove that Indus
Valley people traded by sea.
Dress :
People wore cotton and woollen
dresses. Men wore a garment similar to
the 'dhoti' as lower garment and a shawl
as uppergarment.
Ornaments :
To make ornaments they used
gold, silver, ivory, and precious stones.
Poor people wore ornaments made out
of shells and copper. Both men and
women wore many ornaments.
Art:
They were experts in making
pots out of terracotta. The figures of
birds, animals, images of male and
female, bullock cart driven by a man,
pots and bowls were discovered.
188
Sculpture:
The statue of a dancing girl
made out of bronze found in Mohenjo-
daro and the statue of a man with beard
made out of limestone are examples of
the excellent sculptures.
Religion:
The articles excavated in
Mohenjo-daro tell us about their
religious Practices and the love
towards their religion. They worshipped
Lord Shiva represented as Pasupathi,
Mother Goddess, Lingam, Trident and
trees.
They buried the dead in urns
along with food and ornaments.
Causes forthe decline of the towns:
1.Wooden articles would have got
destroyed by fire.
2. Rivalry because of the civil war.
3. Natural calamities and the change in
the course of River Indus would have
buried things.
4.The Aryans would have destroyed
these towns in orderto succeed.
5.The heap of bones discovered in
Mohenjo-daro is evidence of the
invasion of the foreigners.
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 4.
Evaluation:

I. Choose the correct answer:

1. Which of these help you to know about Indus Valley Civilization?
a. stone inscriptions b. archaeological evidences
c. copperplates
2. Mohenjo-daro means
a. Garden city b. Port city c. Mound of Dead
3. Port Lothal of the Copper Stone Age is in
a. Punjab b.Sindu c.Gujarat
4. Harappan Civilization was
a. Civilization of village b. Civilization of town c. Civilization of

Social Science
corporation
5. The metal unknown to Indus Valley people
a. gold b.iron c. copper
6. Harappa in Sindhi means _
a. Buried City b. City of Fort c. City of Rivers
II. Fill in the blanks:
1. The main God of the Harappans was _ .
2. The excavation of the Indus Valley Civilization was done in _
3. The Great Bath is situated at _ .
_ was the writing used bythe Indus Valley people.

III. Match the following:

1. Great Bath - pots
2. Excavation - burnt clay
3. Wheel - Ravi
4. Terracotta - Mohenjo-daro
5. Punjab - 1921

IV. Answer the following:

1. List the occupation of the Flarappans.
2. Write about the Great Bath.
3. What are the causes for the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?
4. Explain the writings of the Indus Valley people.

189
 ( Formative Assesment )

1. Why did civilization orginate at the riverbanks - Discuss.

2. How to you know the cities are planned and constructed?
3. Visit the nearest museum.
4. Mark the following places in the outline map of India. Lothal, Kalibankan, Rupar,
Harappa, Mohenjo-daro.

190
 1.THE VEDIC PERIOD

The Aryans migrated to India Early Vedic Age or Age of Rig Veda:
through the Khyber and Bolan passes (BC 1500 - BC 1000)
from central Asia. Being shepherds,
they moved in search of pastures for When Rig Veda was compiled the
their cattle. They entered about 4000 Aryans lived in Sindu, which is now in
years ago and settled in the entire north Pakistan. They settled in Sabta Sindhu
India. (The Land of Seven Rivers) in Punjab.
We come to know through the Rig
The places where they settled in Veda, the political and social conditions
LU
India was called Arya Vardham. Aryans of the Aryans. O
made their livelihood by herding the z
LU
cattle. They compiled the prayers of O
their ancestors as Vedas. In History, CO
_l
this was called the Vedic Age. The The Social life of Aryans <
Vedic Age was classified into two. They
Family -ÿVillage -ÿVis ->Jana -ÿJanapatha o
were Early Vedic Age and Later Vedic O
if)
Age.

Routes of the Aryans

Routes of the Aryans

R.Chenab

Bolan

Kalibangan
Ahichatra
Asthinapuram

Mathura« Kusinagar;
Pateshwar"
Vaish

Kausambi
Rajagriham
Ujjaini
Lothal

99
 Political Life
The basic unit of the society was
family. Many families joined and formed
the village which was headed by the
Grahmini. Many villages formed Visu.
(Vis) Vishwapathy was the head of the
Visu. The next higher administrative
unit was Jana. The head of Jana was
Rajan (King). The person who had valour
and strength became the Rajan. The
people lived in a kingdom were called
Prajas. The king was called Prajapathi.
Kingship became hereditary.Many
chieftains formed the Mahajanapadas.
Find out:
Do you have a family name?
Ask and find out the family names of your
neighbours.
Which God/Goddess do you worship?
The Raja (King) was assisted in
his administration by officials called
Prohit and Senai (Commander). There
were two Assemblies called Saba and
Samiti.
Saba - Group of Elders
Samiti - Representatives of
Duties of Raja (King)
• He protected his lands from different
clans.
• He conducted religious duties
according to the advice of the prohits.
• He protected his people from poverty,
war and enmity.
• During the war he led the people and
fought with the enemies.
• Justice and punishments were given
after trial.
• He extended and strengthened the
kingdom.
Social Life
The father was the head of the
family. In the beginning womenwere on a
par with men in the field s of education
and religion. There were women
poets like Vishwawara, Abala, Kosa,
and Lobamuthra. Caste system was not
in existence. Monogamy and Polygamy
were in practice. Widows' remarriage
was permitted.
Economic Life
Cattle rearing and agriculture
were the main occupations of the
people during Rig Vedic Age. Iron was
used to make tools and instruments.
With the help of these tools they
destroyed the forests and made them
into cultivable lands. Carpentry and
weaving were also their occupations.
They produced cotton and
woollen clothes. Goldsmiths made
ornaments and potters made pots for
household use. Barter system was in
practice. Rivers were used for
transportation. Their unit of currency
People
Nishka.was made of gold.
Mention the origin and growth of the
following:
Carpentry, blacksmith, goldsmith,
weaving, agriculture, cattle rearing and
making weapons.
100
Food
Political Life
They had wheat, barley, milk,
The important administrative
curd, ghee, vegetables, fruits and meat
region was the Indus Valley. Kingdoms
as their food. They drank intoxicating
like Kosala, Videham, Kuru, Magadha,
drinks like 'Soma' and 'Sura'.
Kasi, Avanthi and Panchala emerged.
Dresses and ornaments Kingship became hereditary. The duty
The Aryans used clothes made of the king was to defend his country
of cotton and wool. Men wore dhoti and from enemies and to maintain law and
shawl. They also wore turbans. Women order. Since the kingdom expanded, he
wore upper garments and lower had more responsibility. Sacrifices
garments. Both men and women wore such as Rajasuya and Ashvamedha
ornaments. They wore earrings, were performed to establish his
necklaces, bangles, anklets and wore undisputed authority. Saba and
bands on theirforeheads. Samithi declined. LU
O
Religion z
The Aryans worshipped the Economic Life LU
O
forces of nature such as Sun, fire, air, The metal widely used was iron. CO
sky and trees. They also worshipped _l
Handicrafts improved because of this.
Indira, Varna, Agni and Yaman. There New tools were made. They grew
<
o
was neither temple nor idol worship in paddy, sugarcane, barley and wheat. O
if)
the early vedic age. Religious sacrifices Cow dung was used as manure. Cattle
were practised. They wrote religious wealth developed. According to the
principles and their explanations. They number of cattle owned by a person, his
offered milk, ghee, grains and silk. economic status was estimated.
Yagas like Ashvamedha, Rajasuya and
Vajapaya were conducted during
poojas.
Broken pots of the
Later Vedic Period: (BC 1000- BC 600) Aryan Period

The period of Sama Veda,

Atharvana Veda, Yajur Veda are called
the Later Vedic Period.

In this period the Aryans

spread overthe eastern side. (Pre Vedic
Aryans spread from Kabul to Upper
Ganges) During this period the
kingdoms emerged. During this period
Brahmanas, Upanishads and
Aranyakas were also written.

101
 There were weavers, tanners,
carpenters and goldsmith. Gold and
silver coins like Nishka, Swarna and
Satamana were in use.
Caste system became rigid
which was called Varna Dharma. Those
who performed sacrifices and religious
ceremonies were called Brahmanas.
Those who waged war to protect and
rule the country were known as
Kshatriyas. The Vaishyas were the
traders and farmers. The people who
served the three upper caste and did all
the menial works were called Sudras.
Status of Women
During the Later Vedic Period
there was no improvement in the status
of women. They were subordinate
to men. They did not inherit property.
They were deprived of administrative
power. Child marriage was prevalent.
Women who belonged to the royal
family enjoyed some privileges. Sati,
according to which the widow would
throw herself into the funeral pyre of her
husband was in practice.
102
Education
According to the Aryan Dharma,
the Brahmin students stayed in the
Gurukul ( home of the teacher) and
learnt. There were highly educated
women like Gargi and Maitreyi. In the
Gurukul, they learnt philosophy, logic,
religion, grammar, astrology, medicine,
discipline, mathematics, Vedas and
Upanishads. The royal children alone
were taught Danur Veda (military
strategy).
Religion
There were a lot of changes in
the religion according to the Varna
Dharma of the Brahmins. The pre-
vedic Gods lost their importance. In
this period, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra
(Siva) gained importance. Rituals and
animal sacrifices gained importance.
People had faith in soul, fate and
moksha. By the end of this period there
was opposition for the rule of the
priests, rituals and sacrifices. It was
against these meaningless rituals and
costly sacrifices, Buddhism and
Jainism originated.
 Qualities of Dravidians and Aryans
S.No. Qualities of Dravidians Qualities of Aryans

1. Dark complexion, medium height, dark Fair, tall and brown hair.
long hair.

2. Main occupation-Trade and agriculture. Main occupation-Cattle rearing

and war.

3. Wore cotton clothes. Wore woollen, cotton and dresses

made out of skin of animals.

4. Important animal bull. Important animal cow.

They worshipped bull. They worshipped cow.

5. Built houses out of burnt bricks. Built houses out of bamboo and
clay.

6. Worshipped idols, lingam, trident, sakthi No idol worship and temples.

and snake. Worshipped nature and LU
performed yagas and rituals. O
z
LU
7. Used copper. They did not know the use Used iron.
of iron.
O
CO
_l
8. Tiger was known. Horse was unknown. Tiger was unknown. Used
horses.
<
o
9. Agricultural civilization, towns. Cattle rearing civilization,
O
if)
villages.

Evaluation
Choose the correct answer
1. The period of Rig Veda
a. BC 1600- BC 1000 b. BC 1000 - BC 600 c. BC1500 - BC 1000
2. The unit of currency used during Rig Vedic period
a. Nishka b. Rupee c. Dollar
3. The woman who excelled in education in the Later Vedic Period.
a.Gargi b.Abella c. Kosa

Fill in the blanks

1. The head of the village was _ .
2. Widows' _ was in practice during the Early Vedic Period.
3. Assembly that consisted of the Representatives of People was_ .
4- According to _ , the widow would throw herself into the funeral
pyre of her husband.

103
III. State whether the following statements are True or False
1. Sabta Sindu is called the 'Land of Seven Rivers'
2. The commander- in- chief was the Senai.
3. Widows' remarriage was not allowed in Rig Vedic Age.
4. The basic unit of the society was family.
5. Tiger was unknown to the Dravidians.

IV. Matchthe following

1. Satamana - Shiva
2. Praja - Rajan
3. Rudra - Vishwapathy
4. HeadofJana - coins
5. HeadofVisu - people of the kingdom

V. Answer the following

1 . List the ornaments of the Rig Vedic people.
2 . What did the Brahmin students learn during the Later Vedic Period?
3- Compare and contrast the qualities of the Aryan and the Dravidian
Civilization.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

1. Search from the Internet

i. Kaibarand Polen passes.
ii. Know their role in Indian history.
2. Collect various kinds of coins and listoutthe information known from them.
3. Compare the status of women during the Vedic period and the present day.
4. On the outline map of India mark out the route of Aryans to India and the
following places.
i. Kalibangam v. RajaGiraham
ii. Mohenjo-Daro vi. Vaishali
iii. Lothal vii. Mathura
iv. Ujjaini viii. Asthinapuram

104
 2. JAINISM AND BUDDHISM

The 6th century was a period of "Jina" which means the "Conqueror".
intellectual awakening. During that People also called him as "Mahavira".
period, Jainism and Buddhism arose in Mahavira went to many places
India. These two religions existed to preaching his principles for 30 years.
reformed the s o c i o - re I i g i o u s
organizations. The aim of these
religions is to remove the superstitious 1WI AS X W - .If ÿ
beliefs, unwanted religious rituals and
the caste discrimination. Vardhamana LU
Mahavira was the founder of Jainism. O
Gautama Buddha was the founder of
z
LU
Buddhism. O
CO
JAINISM _l

In Jainism, 24 Thirthangaras
<
o
were worshipped. The first O
if)
Thirthangara was Adhinathar, who was
known as Rishabadevar. Vardhamana
Mahavira is the last Thirthangara.
(24th) He gave a strong formation to
Jainism.

Vardhamana Mahavira lived

during B.C.534 - B.C.462. He was born
in Kundagramam near Vaishali Nagar,
which is now in Bihar. His father was
Siddhartha and mother was Trisala.
His wife was Yasodha and he had a
daughter called Anoja Priyadharshana.
At the age of 30, he gave up all the
worldly pleasures and became an
ascetic. He performed penance for 12
years, seeking answerforthe problems
during these days. He treated both joy
and sorrow equally. He won in his
search for truth. So he was called
Mahavira
Why are people born? Why do
they die? What are the causes for their
sufferings? - These were the important
questions that arose in him. He started
thinking why people are troubling
others and cheating each other. One
set of people said that it was because of
the sin they did in the previous birth. But
Mahavira never accepted this. He
thought that how people could not
commit sin in this birth.

105
 So he said that one should not Contribution of Jains to Tamil Literature:
harm others. Human beings are Epics -
responsible for their own problems. We Sillapathigaram,
should not harm any living being. He Chivgachinthamani,
preached a restricted life. He asked his Vallayapathi and Soodanani.
Literature and Grammar works-
followers to follow his principles of
Yapperungalaviruthi,
'Ahimsa' or 'Non-Violence'. To attain the Neminatham,
spiritual goal the Jains starved and Nannool,
subjected themselves to all bodily Agaporulvillakam,
hardships. Naladiar,
Nanmanikadikai,
Pazhamozhi,
Jainism stressed that no one should
Thinaimalai Noorthiyampathu and
kill any living creature. They eliminated
Tamil Nigandu.
clothes. It insisted that they should not
wage war or do agriculture. Trade and Contribution of Jains to architecture:
commerce was their occupation. The Rajasthan - Dilwara temple at
Mount Abu.
religion preached that they should lead
Kajiraho - Chittoor, Ranakpur-
a restricted life. Temples of Jains.

Three Gems orTriratna:

Right Knowledge Right Belief Right Action

The Five Doctrines

1. Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
2. Satya(Truth)
3. Asatya(Non Stealing)
4. Aparigraha(Non-possession)
Dilwara
5. Brahmacharya(Celibacy)
"Kollaan pulaalai marutthaanai kaikoopi
Ella uyirum thozhum"
His principles spread far and wide
- Thirukkural
when superstitious beliefs, quarrels and
fightings prevailed. Sculpture:
• Udaiyagiri
• Hathigumpa
Kings who followed Jainism: • Girnar
Chandragupta Maurya • Saravanabelagola
Kalingathu Karavelen • Kazhugumalai
Koon Pandian
Mahendravarma Pallava I The statue of Gomatheswara at
Saravanabelgola is at Karnataka.

106
BUDDHISM
Gautama Buddha was the
founder of Buddhism. His original name
was Siddhartha. He lived during 563
B.C.- 483 B.C. He was born at
Kapilavastu in Nepal. His father,
Siddhodana belonged to the Sakya
dynasty. His mother, Mayadevi died at
the seventh day of his birth, so he was
brought up by his step-mother. He got
married at the age of 16. His wife was
Yasodha and Rahul was his son.
Even at his early age, he was
anxious to know about what was
happening in the world. He never
showed any interest in hunting and
luxury. The miseries and poverty of the
poor people affected him very much.
Buddha
He was disturbed by the luxury
on one side, poverty, sickness and old
age on the other side. He disowned his
parents, wife and son. He went to the
forest and meditated. He controlled his
107
hunger and thirst. But he never got the
answerfor the question. Since he could
not get an answer, he stopped torturing
himself and ate food. To find out the
truth, he started thinking. He was
enlightened.
Siddhartha, who was
enlightened under a pipal tree at Gaya
became Buddha.
The meaning of the word
'Buddha' is a person who knows what is
good, what is bad and what is LU
suffering. O
z
LU
O
He preached his first sermon at CO
_l
Deer Park in Sarnath near Banares
<
in Uttar Pradesh. o
O
if)
Principles of Bhuddhism
Life is full of miseries. The reasons
for the sufferings are not because of fate
orthe deeds of our previous birth. There
are other reasons for sorrows. We
should strive to overcome the sorrows
by not being greedy, not telling lies and
not harming others. To avoid miseries
one should have right thinking, right
speech and right livelihood. He opposed
caste discrimination. Man need not have
any fear for God, soul and fate. One
should depend and live on his own ideas
and knowledge. We should show
compassion towards animals, birds and
human beings.
 Buddha's principles on suffering Many kings followed Buddhism
are the Four Noble Truths and the like Jainism. The most important among
principles on conduct are the 'Eight them was King Ashoka. Jainism and
Fold Paths'. Buddhism were at their zenith till the 6th
century. They started to decline when
The Four Noble Truths are: Flinduism regained its earlier position.
1. Life is full of sorrow. Buddhism split into Hinayana and
2. Desire is the cause of sorrow.
3. Sorrow can be ended by giving up desire. Mahayana.
4. The eightfold path is the way to ÿ
end sorrow. ( Mahayana
Accepted Buddha's Worshipped Buddha
principles. as God.
Eight - Fold Paths to overcome desire: No idol worship. Idol worship
V Right belief V Right effort
V _J
S Right speech S Right thought Art and Architecture
V Right living V Right action WRafi
ÿS Right memory •/ Right meditation

In order to spread the truth he

went from place to place. Wherever he
went, he discussed his ideas with
various groups of people. Buddhist
monks came forward to spread the
principles of Buddha. The organization
of the monks was called as 'Sangam'.

The agriculturists, poor people,

women, menial labourers and those
who were affected by the society
accepted the principles of Buddha. The
idea that all are equal was new to them.
So Buddhism spread far and wide.

Sanchi Stupa

Even today Buddhism is followed in Ceylon, Burma, Tibet, China,

Japan and Thailand.
The kings who followed Bhuddism - Ashoka, Kanishka and Flarsha.

108
Do you Know?
Our National Emblem (The figure Manimekalai and Kundalakesi
of four lions) is taken from the are Buddhist literature.
capital of Ashoka Pillar.
The books written by Jain monks.
• The Chakra in our National Flag
• Sillapathikaram , Nannool
which has 24 spokes is taken
from the 'Dharma Chakra' of the (Grammar)
Ashoka Pillar.
• Chivagacinthamani; Vallayapathi
• Bihar is the place where there are
(Literature).
many Buddha Viharas.
• Religious text: Angas and Purvas .
Historical Monuments
• The Jataka tales describes the
history of Buddhism. The Jataka
To know
Mahavamsam, a book of Sri Lanka
stories are depicted at Gaya,
says that Tripitakas was written during
Sanchi and Burcut. LU
the reign ofVattakkamini Abayan. In Pali O
• Ajantha and Ellora Cave z
paintings which are in language it is called as Tripitakam which LU
Aurangabad at Maharastra means three baskets. O
CO
describe the fame of Buddha. _l
Gandhara art also belongs to <
Buddhism. o
Water cannot enter into a Properly O
• The prayer halls of the Buddhist
constructed house;
if)
monks are called Chaityas and
their monastries are called Evil thoughts cannot enter into the
Viharas. They are of rock cut hearts of those who have
structures. good thoughts.
- Buddha.

Literature
• The Buddhist religious texts are
called Tripitakas. They are
Vinaya Pitaka, SuttaPitaka and
Abhidamma Pitaka.

Evaluation
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. The one who laid strong foundation to Jainism
a) Vardhamana Mahavira b) Athinathan c) Rishabadeva
2. The principles stressed by Jainism
a) idol worship b) not to kill c) untouchability

109
3. A place in Tamil Naduwhere you can see Jain sculptures
a)Girnar b) Kazhugumalai c) Hathigumba
4. The place where Buddha was enlightened
a) Kundagrammam b) Deer Park c)Gaya
5. One of the most important kings who followed Buddhism
a) Chandra Gupta b)Ashoka c) Bindusara

Fill in the blanks.

1. _ was known as Conqueror or Jina.
2. The principles stressed by Jainism are called _
3. is the place where Gomatheswara statue is situated.
4. The principles of Buddha are called _ .
5. The organization of the Buddhist monks is called _
6. The Dharma Chakra in our National Flag is taken from the
pillar.

State whether the following statements are True or False

1. Mysore is the place where Gomatheswara statue is situated.
2. The son of Buddha was Rahul.
3. The founder of Jainism was Buddha.
4. Mahavira was the 24th Thirthankara.
5. There are 24 spokes in the Ashoka Chakra.

IV. Match the following.

1. Tripitakam - worshipped Buddha as God
2. Hinayana - Buddha's first sermon
3. Sillapathigaram - who accepted Buddha's prinicples
4. Deer Park - Jain literature
5. Mahayana - religious text of Jains
V. Answer in five lines.
1. What are the causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism?
2. Describe the Triratnas insisted on by Jainism.
3. Write short notes on the contribution of Jains to Tamil literature.
4. Write the Four Noble Truths of Buddha.
5. Mention the Eight Fold Paths to overcome desire.

VI. Answer in detail.

1. Explain the distinctive features of Jainism.
2. Explain the ideas you like in Buddhism.

110
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 FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

1. Which of the principles of Jainism and Buddhism do you like to follow? By

following such principles what are the good changes that can happen? Think
it over and explain.
2. Jainism and Buddhism which originated in India are now being followed only in
the foreign countries. Examine the reasons.
3. Know the special features of Ajanta and Ellora or to visit a library and know
these things through books.
4. On the outline mapof India mark out the following places:
Saravanapelakola
Vaishali LU
O
MountAbu z
LU
iv. Kabilavasthu O
CO
v. Sanchi _l

vi. Gaya
<
o
vii. Ajanta and Ellora O
if)

111
 'I can, I did'
Student's Activity Record
Subject:

Sl.No Date Lesson Topic of the Activities Remarks

No. Lesson

112
 7. ANCIENT TAMIL NADU

The land mass between the

Himalayas and Cape Comorin is hailed
as our Grand Old Country of Bharath by "Senthmizh naadenum poothinilae-inba
Bharathiyar in his "Ode to Child". Thean vandhu paayuthu kathinelae-yengal
(Pappa Pattu) Historians conclude that Thanthaiyar naadenum poothinilae-oru
Sakthi pirakuthu moochinilae."
the land to the south of the Vindhyan
Range is the most ancient in the world .

In the southern state there are
people who speak different languages
like Tamil, Telugu,Kannada, Malayalam
and Tulu. The people who live in the
south ofTirupathi speakTamil.
Bavanandhi Munnivar.the
author of Nannool describes Tamil
Nadu as follows.
Venkata hills on the North, Cape
Comorin on South and the land
between these two isTamil Nadu.
During the British rule, most of
the parts of south India was called
'Madras Presidency'. After
independence, the state which had
Tamil as its language was separated.
Arignar Anna, the then Chief Minister
in 1967 named the state as Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil we speak can be
appreciated as Senthamizh,
Paeynthamizh and Muthamizh. The
National poet Subramania Bharathiyar
sang
Social Science
Tamil Nadu was ruled by the
descendants of Chera, Chola and
Pandya who were called Mooventhars
during the ancient time. The southern
part of south India was ruled by
Pandyas, west by Cheras and north¬
east by Cholas.
The Prehistoric Tamil Nadu :
Before prehistoric period, the
Indian Ocean on the south of Cape
Comorin was a land mass. It was called
as 'Kumari Kandam'. The river Fahruli
ran on this land mass which was eight
to ten times bigger than South India.
There were wide ranges of mountains.
It was said that the land had sufficient
rain, dense forest, civilized people and
efficient kingdom. That kingdom would
have been the ancient Pandyan
Kingdom.

191
Three Sangams :
The capital of Pandyas was
Thenmadurai. Tamizhvalartha Thalai
Sangam assembled there. The
Pandyas ruled over the land with
Kapadapuram as its capital. This place
was left over after the tsunami in which
Thenmadurai was taken away by the
sea. In Kapadapuram the poets
gathered and had the Second Sangam.
That city also became a prey to tsunami
later.
Then the Pandyas ruled with
Madurai as their capital. The last
Sangam was held in Madurai Muthoor.
It was known as Kudal as the Pandya
kings patronized the poets and held
research on Tamil. It was believed that
the First, Second and Third Sangam
helped in the development of literature
and Tamil flourished under the
leadership of Pandyan Kings. These
Sangams would have been for a long
time.
The Continent Lemuria :
The conditions were favourable
for the growth of living organisms only
at Cape Comorin which was
submerged after the tsunami. Because
of this the evolution of man would have
taken place then. The language spoken
by those people was the basic of Tamil
language. The researchers believed
that those were the ancient Tamilians.
People who lived on the southern part
of the land mass are considered as the
192
ancestors of the people of Cape
Comorin. There was a big land mass
connecting Africa and Australia, which
was called Lemuria after the name of
the monkey Lemur.
It was believed that human
beings evolved from the Lemurs. The
language of the people was ancient
Tamil. The land where their decendents
lived was called Tamil Nadu.
Historic period:
The historic period of Tamil
Nadu began from the Sangam age.
Sangam age is the period during which
the poets of the Third Sangam joined
together and did research on Tamil.
This period lasted for 400 years from
BT 200 - AT 200. Some consider that it
was between BT 300 -AT 300.
Note BT -AT was calculated based on
the birth year of Thiruvalluvar ie 31 B.C.
According to the decision taken by
Tamil scholars that time can be
calculated considering that
Thiruvalluvar was born 31 years before
Christ. This was accepted and
announced by the Government of Tamil
Nadu.
The Sangam literatures, what
we got now are Ettuthogai and
Pathupattu. The poem in these
literature were written by Kapilar,
Paranar, Avvayyar, Nakkeerar,
and hundreds of poets. With the help of
these we can understand the
civilization, customs, culture and
political life of Tamilians.
Tolkappium which was a pride to
Tamil literature originated before the
Third Sangam. Tamil literature would
have developed a few thousand years
ago. It was a pride to Tamil, that
Tirukkural which was hailed by all the
religions originated during the Sangam
age.
Our mother tongue Tamil which
is adoptive to grammatical norms and
is called Senthamizh. Scholars call
Tamil a classical language, because it
had developed without the help of other
languages.
Five division of Lands
193
Activity:
Identify the type of land division that
you live in. Write down.
The people who lived in the
south which was surrounded by water
on three sides were good sea traders
before the Sangam age as per the
proverb, "Tiraikadal oodiyum
thiraviyam theddu". The language
Tamil is abundant with words like Navai,
Kalam, Kappal, Thoni, Odam, Padagu,
Social Science
Theppam and Katamaram which are
used to denote the mode of travel at
sea.
This shows their interest in sea
trade. There were many ports like
Puhar, (Kaveripoompattinam), Korkai,
Musiri, Thondi and Vanchi. They had
trade contacts with Egypt, Yavanam,
Rome, China and other eastern
countries. They followed the barter
system.
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa
excavated in the Northern hemisphere
were examples of town civilization. They
examined thousands of things found TheThree Tamil kingdoms :
there . It was proved that it had The Pandyas :
connection with the Southern Tamilians
for more than four- five thousand years
ago. This showed that in those days
Tamilians were not only in the south but
also in the north.

During the Sangam, the poets

divided the lands into five physical
divisions. The mountainous region was The Pandyan king Mudathirumaran and
called Kurinchi, the forested region was Thalaiyalanganathu Cheruvendra
referred as Mullai, the coastal area was Neduncheziyan who defeated the
Neidel and the sandy regions which combined forces of seven kings, lived in
suffered drought were called Palai. The
the Pandya kingdom. The one who
occupation of the people depended on
played an important role in
the region where they lived.
Sillapathigaram by saying, "Yano
Arrasan; Yanae Kalvan" (I am not a king,
In those days, the most
I am the culprit) and established truth was
important duty of the kings
was protecting their subjects. also a renowned Pandya king.
Apart from the kings there were
chieftains and patrons who ruled The Cheras :
smaller regions. Conditions were
favourable for the poets, pannar,
koothar, viraliyar, traders, idayars,
uzhavars, maravars to lead a
comfortable life.

Agriculture was honored as it

provided food to all. Next to agriculture
weaving was given importance.
The famous, Chera kings
Imayavaramban Neduncheralathan and
Sillambu Pugazh Cheran Senguttuvan
reached the Himalayas and hoisted the
Chera flag.

194
TheCholas :
The famous Chola kings were Karikal
Peruvallathan and Killivalavan.
Karikalan who ruled over two
thousand years ago conquered Eelam.
He made the captives build the bank of
river Cauvery. Kallanai which exists
even today was built by him. This
famous king was called as Karikal
Peruvallathan.
The famous kings of the
medieval period were Rajaraja Chola
and Rajendra Chola. They conquered
not only the North but also Java and
Kadaram.
The seven chieftains were
called as Kadaiyelu Vallalgal. The
famous among them were Pari, Ori,
Kari, Nalli, Elini, Pegan and Aay.
Social Life :
"Pirrapokkum ella uirukkum -chirappova
Cheithozhil vettrumai yan"
195
According to the Thirukkural
mentioned above there was a society
without any discrimination.
There were discrimination
according to their occupations. There
was sect system but they were not
discriminated according to their birth.
Untouchability was not in practice. In
due course, caste discrimination and
untouchability came into force.
Women had the privilege of
choosing their life partners. Parents
agreed to that. The rituals, raising of
Social Science
holy fire and chanting of mantras were
not in vogue. Women were not treated
as perthe Vedas.
As building of temples was not
in practice, the Sangam people
worshipped the stones erected in
memory of the dead soldiers which
were known as Hero Stones or
Nadukkal and their ancestors.
They celebrated harvest
festival, Pongal festival and the festival
of Spring season. In the capital they
celebrated Indiravizha. They did not
know about the festivals of the
Puranas.
Evaluation:
I. Choose the correct answer :

1. The area that was considered as the most ancient one in the world
a) Ganges Valley
b) the area in the south of Vindhyas
c) north west valley

2. The land mass on the South Kanyakumari during pre-historic period

a) Continent of Kumari
b) Continent of Bharath
c) Continent of Africa

3. The place where evolution of man began

a) Mediterranean countries
b) Asyria
c) Lemuria

4. Which year is considered as the birth year of Thiruvalluvar

a) AD 31
b) BC 31
c) AD 13

5. The city where the Second Sangam was held

a) Thenmadurai
b) Kapadapuram
c) Koodal Nagar

Fill in the blanks:

1. was the organisation where the Tamil poets assembled and
did the literary research in Tamil.
2. The _ were the ancestors of the people of Cape Comorin.
3. The historical period of the Tamil began from _ age.
4. The Grammar book, _ originated before the Third Sangam.
5. _ was the most important occupation of the Sangam age.

196
III. Match the following:

1. Tolkappiam - Yano Arrasan; YanaeKalvan

2. Mullai - Hero Stones

3. PandiyarNeduncheziyan - Ravi

4. Heroic death - coastal area

5. Kurinchi - book before Tamil Sangam

6. Neithel - forest area

IV. Answer the following:

Social Science
1. Why is Tamil known as classical language?

2. Name the Tamil words which are used to denote the mode of travel at sea.

3. Why is Madurai known as Kudal?

4. What are the countries with whom the Tamilians had trade?

5. Mention the physical divisions of the land during the Sangam age.

6. Name the famous Pandya kings.

7. Name the important Chera kings.

8. Write notes on Karikal Peruvallathan.

9. Name the Kadaiyelu Vallalgal.

10. Mention the social status of women during the Sangam age.

V. Answer in detail :

1. Write the characteristic features of the ancient Tamil.

2. Describe the First, Second and Third Sangam.

3. Write about the sea trade of the Sangam Age.

197
 Formative Assessment

1. Prepare and display the models of 5 types of lands.

2. Prepare a tabular column based on the trees, flags and flowers of the three tamil
kingdoms.

3. Do the festivals of the present time gives only happiness? Discuss.

4. Who am I?
Land and areas around the land. Who am I?
Mountain and areas around the mountains. Who am I?
Forests and areas around the forests. Who am I?
Sea and areas around the sea. Who am I?
Draught stricken area- Who am I?

198
 'I can, I did'
Student's Activity Record
Subject:

Sl.No Date Lesson Topic of the Activities Remarks

No. Lesson

Social Science

199
Iÿ

ÿI

200
 1. RISE OF KINGDOMS

Mahajanapadas: Mahajanapadas
At the end of the Vedic period, the 1. Anga 7. Kedi 13. Aswakas
Janapadas fought with each other for 2. Magadha 8. Vatsa 14. Avanti
the new fertile lands and mineral wealth
3. Kosala 9. Kuru 15. Gandhara
and for the same reason they tried to
move towards the east. Because of 4. Kasi 10. Panchala 16. Kamboja
this, they had clashes with the non-

Aryans who came from the east and
south of the Indus Valley. Ultimately, the
small Janapadas either defeated or
joined themselves with the
Mahajanapadas.
Many Janapadas joined to form
the Mahajanapadas. They depended
more on the types of lands than on the
clans. There are sources to prove that
during the period of Buddha there were
16 powerful Mahajanapadas in North
India. Some of them were ruled by
hereditary kings. The rest were ruled by
elected kings. There were 18 groups
together in the Vajjian confederacy
which had Vaishali as their capital.
Kosala, Avanti, Vatsa and Magadha
were some of the powerful monarchies
of this period. They fought with each
other and other republics.Ultimately,
Magadha defeated others and
became the most powerful
Mahajanapada.
Rise of Magadha :
Bimbisara - Ajatasatru
The area around Patna in
--
5. Vajji 11. Matsya
6. Malla 12. Surasena
\ X
today's Bihar is called Magadha. It's
first capital was Siravasthi, the second
capital was Rajgir and lastly
Pataliputra. Bimbisara belonged to
Haryanka Dynasty. He expanded the
kingdom of Magadha by conquests and
by marriage alliances. His son
Ajatasatru imprisoned his father and
succeeded the throne. He waged war
for a long period with Kosala, Avanti,
Vaishali and extended his empire. The
fort of Pataliputra was laid by
Ajatasatru.
Sisunaga-Mahapadma Nanda
Sisunaga defeated the Haryanka
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Dynasty. The Nanda Dynasty who
succeeded Sisunga Dynasty spread
the rule of Magadha throughout north
India. Mahapadmananda, the first
Nanda king crossed the Vindhyas and
annexed Deccan. He extended the
Magadha Empire beyond Vindhyas to
Deccan.

151
 Though Sisunaga and
Mahapadmananda, were Sudras they
became the kings. It was a great
change. The Nandas patronized
Jainism.The Macedonian king
Alexander came with his troops
through the West of India. He had to
return since he was aware of the Nanda
warfare and his soldiers were tired after
a longjourney.
MAURYAN EMPIRE
Chandragupta Maurya :
Chandragupta of Mauryan
Dynasty revolted against the last
Nanda king Dhanananda, defeated him
and took over the Magadha Dynasty
(BC 324-299).
Megasthenese
Kl
Chandragupta Maurya
152
He invaded parts of West India
which were annexed by the Greeks
under the leadership of Alexander and
extended the Mauryan Dynasty. He
defeated the Greek General Selecus
Nikator and he annexed Afghanistan
and Gandnara with his empire.
Megasthenese,the ambassador
of Selecus stayed at Pataliputra for
many years and wrote about India in his
book 'Indica'. The Jain religious text
says that Chandragupta Maurya
became a monk leaving his throne and
went with the Jain monk, Bhadrabagu
to south India. He ended his life by fast
unto death as a devout follower of
Jainism at Saravanabelagola.
Ashoka:
Chandragupta was succeeded
by his son Bindusara, who ruled for 25
years. He was succeeded by one of his
sons Ashoka. (BC 273-236) For the first
four years, he spent his time to
suppress his brothers who were his
rivals. After the eighth year, he waged a
terrible war against Kalinga which was
separated and annexed with the
Mauryan empire. Ashoka was so upset
and grief stricken at the sight of the war
that he took a pledge that he would
never wage war again.
Ashoka's Dharma Vijaya:
Ashoka declared that helping
his subjects and leading them in the
righteous way is the duty of a king. He
spent the rest of his life, meeting people
and helping them. He hated 'Dig Vijaya'
(Conquest of the World). In order to
spread Dharma, he undertook a
journey which was called 'Dharma
Vijaya'. He constructed inns and
hospitals for everyone irrespective of
caste and creed. Medical assistance
was given to cattle. Sacrifices were
banned. The laws were altered on
humanitarian basis. Death sentence
was reduced. He spread Dharma
among people through rock edicts
which were inscribed on regional
languages. He appointed
Dharmamahamatras to help the
people. Ashoka was the first emperor
who established the welfare state for
people.
Ashoka Sarnath Pillar
153
Ashoka and Buddhism:
Ashoka embraced Buddhism
which insisted love, knowledge and
discipline. Eventhough he was a
Buddhist, he was kind to Brahmins and
Agivagirs. He took maximum effort to
spread Buddhism. He renovated and
expanded the monuments at
Kapillavastu, Saranath and
Buddhagaya.He constructed hundreds
of stupas and pillars. He organized the
Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra.
In order to spread Buddhism, he sent
Buddhist monks to different parts of his
empire and also to foreign countries.
Mahendra, the one who spread
Buddhism in Ceylon was believed to be
his son. Buddhism became a world
religion by the efforts of Ashoka.
Ashoka's contribution to art and
architecture :
Ashoka's stupas and pillars are
considered to be the oldest after the
monuments of the Indus Valley
Civilization. Buddhist stupas at Sarnath
and Lumbini are marvellous.The
Ashoka's pillar cannot be compared
with any other art. The structure of
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Ashoka's pillar, the bell shaped capital
resembling an inverted lotus shows the
influence of the Persian architecture.
Ashoka's Stone Edicts:
Ashoka's royal proclamations
and messages are inscribed on the
walls of the caves, stone pillars and
rocks that are kept all through his
empire. Most of them are written in
Prakrit, Kharoshti in north western
India, Greek in Afghanistan. These
edicts depict Ashoka's humanitarian
love and non-violence.
'
•
'
•
W* '
'• J ÿ
) WM
if
ÿ
iINSI
. a, . & &A
*ur-
'f'ijjf <rj* ,-ft'X '4 >5
;?z. : '/-! Cw
Ashoka's
Stone Edict
The Stone Edict of Ashoka:
"I captured Kalinga after eight
years of war. In the war, one lakh
people died and one and a half lakh
people left the country.
It made me very sad when more
than a lakh of my people were killed
and captured during the war of
Janapata. The war separated loved
ones.
The ruins of the war affected all
the people. It troubled me. So I
accepted Dharma more than war."
-Ashoka
Mauryan Administration:
For the convenience of
administration, the empire was divided
into five provinces. Taxilla was the
capital of North province, Ujjaini was the
capital of West province, Swarnagiri
was the capital of South province and
Dosali was the capital of East province.
The main province, Magadha was ruled
by the king himself with Pataliputra as
its capital.
A council of ministers and army
chiefs were appointed to help the king
in his administration. They were
A'T;-
appointed without the discrimination of
caste.The higher officials called
Mahamatras were appointed as
ÿ4 superintendents and governors of the
r iy big provinces. Princes were also
,i :, < . -Jim
appointed as Mahamatras. There were
other officers like Yuktas, Pradeshikas,
Ambassdors and Spies. Those who
protected the frontier were known as
'Andamahamatras' . Dharma
mahamatras looked after the moral life
of the public. There were local self
government in the cities.
Megasthenese described in his Indica
that the administration of the city of
Pataliputra was maintained by a set of
30 officers who belonged to 6
committees. Each committee had a
specific duty. The strong army of
Mauryas was administered by a set of
30 officers. Infantry, cavalry, elephants,
chariots and navy were controlled by 5
committees. The sixth committee
looked after the transport, food,
medical facility and production of
weapons for the army.
154
 The Mauryan Empire
during Ashoka's period

ÿ ÿvTaxill,

Indraprasth;

Sarnath

Sanchi

Girinar
Tamralipti

Dosali

Kalinga

,Swarnai

Siddapur

Kanch
Chola o
SOCIAL SCIENCE
The Mauryan Empire during Ashoka's period
« 'Pandya: C.

•«P
O

Srilanka]

155
 The judicial administration was
very strict. Ashoka brought some
changes on humanitarian grounds.
Torture was banned. He introduced
new methods to console the people
who were given death sentence. The
tenure of petty cases were reduced.
Kings and ministers went on tours to
solve the problems of the people.
Brihadratha, the last king of the
Maurya Dynasty was assassinated by
Pushyamitra. After this, the Magadha
lost its power for more than 500 years.

Evaluation

I. Choose the correct answer

1. The one who built fort Pataliputra
a. Ashoka b. Bimbisara c. Ajathasatra
2. The book written by Megasthenese
a. Arthasasthra b. Indica c. Mudra-rakshasa
3. Ashoka ascended the throne in
a. BC232 b. BC273 c. BC255
4. The place where the Third Buddhist Council was held
a. Pataliputra b. Kashmir c. Kapilavastu

II . True or false
1. Selecus Nikator was the ambassador of Megasthenese.
2. Mahapadmananda was the first king of Nanda Dynasty.
3. Ashoka refused Dharma Vijaya and accepted Dig Vijaya.
4. Ashoka was the first one to establish a welfare state for people.
5. Mahendra spread Buddhism at Ceylon.

III. Answer the following

1. How did the Mahajanapadas establish themselves?
2. To whom does the credit go in establishing the first empire in India? - Explain.
3. Ashoka was the one who established an empire for the welfare of the people-
Why?
4. What are the causes for the change in Ashoka's life?
5. Explain the inscriptions used in the stone edicts of Ashoka.

156
1. The common people were much affected during the wars between kings of the
older days. Enumerate how the people are affected today.
2. Visit a nearby stone edict and try to read the letters on it.
3. Draw a picture of Saranath pillar or Write the details you learnt from the picture of
the pillar.
4. Draw the boundaries of Mauryan Empire during Ashoka's period and mark the
following places in the given map.
· Thatsaseelam
· Indra prartham
· Pataliputram
· Saranath
· Gaya
· Kalingam
· Girinagar

SOCIAL SCIENCE

157
 2. KUSHANA EMPIRE
The powerful empire which was
established in India after the decline of
the Mauryans were the Kushans. The
Kushans were the people who
belonged to the Yueh-chi tribe. During
the 1st century AD Kadphises I
established the kingdom of Kushana in
the North west part of India. Kadphises
II (AD 65-75) who succeeded
Kadphises I conquered Punjab and
Indus Valley.
Kanishka:
After the death of Kadphises II,
Kanishka (AD 78-101) captured the
throne. He was considered as the most
powerful king of Kushans. He marched
to Pataliputra and subdued Saka
Satraps. He fought with the Chinese
twice. He was defeated by the Chinese
commander-in-chief Panchao in the
first expedition. In the second war, he
won and annexed Kashgar, Yarqand,
Khotan and the parts of central Asia
with his Empire. He created a new
capital called Purushapuram.
(Peshawar).
He was impressed by
Buddhism. He organized the Fourth
Buddhist Council at Kashmir. The
famous Buddhist philosophers like
Vasupandu, Ashvaghosa and
Nagarjuna participated in the Fourth
Buddhist Council.
158
The new division of Buddhism,
Mahayana originated in this council.
Groups of monks were sent to Tibet and
China to spread Mahayana.
S3?
I ii
Ashvaghosha, who was the
Mahayana Buddhist scholar wrote
large volumes of Sanskrit literature like
Buddhacharita, Sutralankar.
Vasumithra compiled Mahavibhasa.
Nagarjuna wrote books on philosophy.
Charaka, a famous physician and the
great builder Ajilasim were in
Kanishka's Empire.
The Gandhara art which
combined the Indo-Greek style made
new statues of Buddha and
Bodhisatvas. Kanishka was called
Asoka II because of the involvement
and the steps he took for the spread of
Buddhism. The year that Kanishka
ascended the throne was the beginning
of the Saka era. He met a violent death
in his tent. Thus the Kushan Empire
declined.
THE GUPTA EMPIRE
After the Kushansthe next empire
to arise in north India was that of the
Guptas with Pataliputra as it's capital.
Chandragupta I was the first important
king of the Gupta dynasty(AD319-335).
The year of his coronation was
considered as the beginning of the
Gupta Era. The Allahabad inscription
describes the conquests and the
victories of Samudragupta (AD 335-
375) who succeeded Chandragupta I.
The Gupta empire extended from
Bengal to Indus and the Himalayas to
Vindhyas. The Allahabad inscription
describes that he conquered 9 North
Indian kings, 11 Republicans and 12
South Indian kings. The Allahabad pillar
inscription was inscribed by his minister
Harisena. After Samudra Gupta,
Chandragupta II (AD 380 - 414) was
considered as a famous king.
He defeated Sakas, the foreign
invaders and captured Ujjain.
r Pushyamithra and Huns. The Chinese
Ajanta Cave Painting Mehrauli Iron Pillar
159
The epics like Ramayana,
Mahabharatha, 18 Puranas and
Panchathanthiras were compiled during
Gupta's period. They patronized Sanskrit
scholars like Kalidasa, Pasar and
Visagathatha. Sanskrit was the official
language. They built small temples for
Gods and Goddess like Vishnu, Shiva
and Durga. The Ajanta cave paintings
and sculptures belonged to the Gupta
age.
The famous astrologer and
mathematician, Aryabhatta,
Varahamihira, the famous physicians
Saragar, Susurudar and Dhanvantari
belonged to the Gupta age. The iron
pillar at Mehrauli which is 1500 years
old is a specimen of the art of
metallurgy that flourished during the
Gupta age. Nalanda University was
founded by Kumara Gupta. Caste
system was worse. The sacrifices
which were banned during the period of
Ashoka revived. They worshipped
Shiva, Sakthi, Vishnu, Kumaran
(Murugan) and temples were built for
Hindu Gods.
Gupta period was considered
the Golden Age. The Gupta empire
SOCIAL SCIENCE
declined because of the invasion of
traveller Fahien visited the Buddhist
pilgrim centres during the period of
Chandragupta II. (Vikramaditya)
 Nalanda University

Harsha
HARSHA DYNASTY
Harshavardhana, the King of
Thaneshwar created an empire in north
India which was already defeated by
the Huns after the downfall of the
Guptas. (AD 606 - 647) Harsha fought
for a long time with Sasanka, the one
who killed his brother. In this war, the
king of Kamarubha, (Assam)
Bhaskaravarma helped him. After the
death of Sasanka, he annexed most of
the parts of the kingdom of Bengal. As
per his sister's request, he became the
king of Kanauj, which became his
Purushapuram
capital. He conquered Malwa, Sind
and Orissa. He also tried to conquer
south India which was a failure
because Pulikesin II defeated Harsha.
to the monks, scholars and public. The
Nalanda University was the great seat
of learning which came to limelight
under Harsha's patronage. It attracted
not only Indians but also foreigners.
Harsha went on frequent tours
to find out the problems and fulfil the
needs of his subjects during his
administration. He patronized art and
architecture. His minister Bana was a
Sanskrit scholar.
HARSHA'S EMPIRE
i
Himalayas
Kanauj.
Vaishali
Prayag
•Pataliputra

MARSHA'S EMPIRE

Because of the influence of his

sister and Hieun Tsang, the Chinese
Salukyas
scholar, Harsha embraced Buddhism. Arabian Sea R. Krishna; Bay of Bengal

He held religious councils at Kanauj

Extent of Harsha's Empire
and Prayag. In this, most of the
Buddhist and other religious scholars
participated. At the end of the council,
Indian Ocean
he generously distributed all his wealth

160
 He wrote the book called
'Harshacharita'. Harsa, who was a
scholar wrote Nagananda, Ratnavali
and Priyadarshika. The Chinese
Buddhist monk Hieun Tsang visited
India during his reign. He visited
Kanauj, Prayag, Nalanda and
Kanchipuram. He stayed in
Harsha's court for sometimes.
Si-Yu-Ki, a book on tours tells about
Buddhism and about India on those
days. Harsha's Empire was the last
Empire in north India before the Islamic
conquest.

Evaluation
I. Fill in the blanks
1. - established the Kushana Dynasty.
2. The book Buddha Charita was written by-
3. - was the physician of the Gupta period.
4. - was the king ofThaneshwar.
5. The period of Gupta was called the- ÿof India.

II. State whether true or false

1. Peshawar was the capital of Kanishka.
2. Si-yu-ki was written by Hieun Tsang.
3. Ajilasim was the Greek architect.
4. Mehruali pillar belongs to the age of the Guptas.
5. Ashvaghosha wrote Sutralankar.

III. Match the following

1. Fourth Buddhist Council estabilished Kushan Empire
2. Samudra Gupta's period Kumara Gupta
3. Kanishka's period Kanishka
4. Pannar Yueh-Chi tribe
5. Harsha AD 335 -AD 375
6. Kushan AD 78-AD 101
7. Ashokall Harshacharita
8. Nalanda University Kashmir
SOCIAL SCIENCE
9. Kadphisesl Priyadharshika
IV. Answer the following
1. Explain the background of Gandhara art.
2. Why Gupta's period is known as the 'Golden Age' of India?
3. Mention the foreign invaders who were responsible for the decline of
Guptas.
4. Explain -Saka period and Gupta period.
5. Discuss about Fahien and Hieun Tsang.

161
 Pa
ta
Scholars lip
ut
ra
m
1. Fill in the blanks

C
hi
na

Buddhism Victories
Kanishka

162
Fourth
Cap

Art Buddhist
Council
ture
dP

Religious Capital
lace

Division
s
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2. Write the names of the books and authors that you have read in the library.
3. How was it possible for Hieun Tsang to come to India when there was no transport
facilities during those days? Know such travel experience by when reading or
listening.
4. What was the main interest of the kings?
I. War
II. Social service – discuss.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

163
Iÿ

ÿI

164